The Strategy for Acquiring Induced Hepatocyte-Like Cells

PENG Lei¹, YANG Xiao¹, WANG Minjun^1,2*

(¹Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Undergraduate Innovation Ability Training Incubator, College of Basic Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; ²Department of Cell Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China)

Abstract:

Orthotopic liver transplantation is the most effective method for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases including liver failure, but only a few patients achieve liver transplantation because of the limited organ donor and expensive surgery. Hepatocyte transplantation has been considered as the best alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation in the treatment of liver diseases. However, evidences have reported that primary hepatocytes can not be massively expanded in vitro under either 2D or 3D culture system, greatly limiting its clinical application. Pluripotent stem cells or liver stem cells have the advantage of in vitro expansion for several passages and the potential capacity of differentiation. In recent years, researchers focused on how to acquire a large number of mature hepatocyte-like cells. This review summarized the current strategies and potential clinical value for acquiring induced hepatocyte-like cells, for developing clinical approaches of cell therapy in end-stage liver diseases.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2022.03.0014